18 Months Fun Travels and Travelers

Hello Friends, hello fall! It’s been lovely here in Texas as we’ve had a few weeks since the summer heat sizzled out. I’ve been laid up for the last few days recovering from my second round of strep throat this month, and I thought it was a good opportunity to catch you all up on our latest adventures! Are you excited? Claire is excited (see celebration video below).

I’ll kick this off with a couple of shots from the end of summer, the last day of splash pad at daycare (she started out hating it, but her teachers say she likes it now!).

Horseshoe Bay

We took a family road-trip to Horseshoe Bay, a resort outside of Austin, Texas at the end of August. We considered several other options, but since we’re trying to avoid air travel and also really long car rides with a toddler, we figured where better to begin than the city where we started.

On the first day, we strapped Claire up in the backpack and went on a hike. She got whiny about the heat with only 20 minutes left to go. Also, she didn’t lose any shoes, but did toss her hat to the side, which set us back a quarter-mile to retrieve. Can’t let your bald baby go without protection for her noggin! (also, yes, those are James’ choice hiking flip flops)

We stayed at a lovely condo overlooking the lake. Claire loved the view, and playing peek-a-boo with the patio furniture.

We brought several toys, but the best toys are improved. Remote controls are always good, but Claire’s choice was measuring cups. She likes to have one thing per hand to carry.

We brought our trusty Au(nt) Pair with us, Bri. She gave James and I the luxury of a few nice nights out. Claire loves to play aunty jungle gym. Especially when she was on business calls 🙂

Well this was back in August, so of course a dip in the pool was necessary. (also, please excuse the sunscreen streaks! I’m proud to report nobody was burnt on this trip)

We also did a nifty tour of Longhorn Cavern National Park. It’s a cave with (live) brown bats, that kind of look like kiwi’s on the ceiling. It was a cool 75 in the cave, which was a welcome reprieve from the summer heat. Claire was mostly amused by the cave, though she did want to get out and walk some (which we quickly recognized the disaster that might cause).

Bri and I took a lovely (photo op) trip to the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower center/garden. It was a nice, easy walk, and Claire clearly loved the stroller ride.

Seriously, she’s so goofy. I’ve never seen a kid like to put her feet up so much (more to come on that later). But we sure had fun taking pretty pictures with my pretty little lady. I am noticing as I’m looking through these that, every time she got hot she got fussy… me too Claire, me too.

While we were there they had these nifty butter fly seats in a few sizes. We decided to try them, goldilocks-style. Which one do you think Claire liked best?

At the resort they have an 18-hole championship putt putt course (it sounds as snooty as it is, but it’s kinda fun). James and I played (scores below), Claire rode in the stroller and was generally unimpressed by the exotic birds they had exhibited around the course.

Alright, a few random pictures and thoughts from the trip. I’m pretty sure Claire’s diet on this trip was entirely made up of white bread, cheese, and processed vegetables, she did antioxidize with blueberries daily though. In all seriousness, it’s HARD to get a kid to eat broccoli after they’ve eaten macaroni and quesadillas for 5 days straight!

Galveston Trip

After we got back from the Austin trip, my sister Elyse and I decided we needed a beach trip… ’cause the summer is just not complete without the beach! On the way to pick her up from Dallas, Claire and I stopped to see my friend Rose and her son Thomas, who is 3 months younger than Claire. They are not friends yet (toddlers tend to steal toys a lot… especially mine), but we did catch this one sweet moment, of what we hope their friendship turns out to be!

I have to say, Galveston is MUCH nicer than I remember. You could actually see your toes sometimes! We had a lovely time lounging on the beach, having cocktails by the pool, and taking walks on the seawall.

And, of course, you can’t drive through Houston without a stop at Goode Company Seafood. If I had to pick 1 food for the rest of my life, it might be their seafood campechana. mmmm.

Thanks to Grandma Burkert and Aunt Bri (again!) for watching Claire so we could make this impromptu trip possible.

Daycare- the highs and lows

No, this isn’t a commentary on how much sugar they give out (it’s absurd though). This is a story of the good/bad/s0-so of daycare. Let’s start with the time mom tried to capitalize on the cute pumpkin they had out front… Claire was not having it.

I’m glad my kid loves her teachers. Claire leaps from her arms when James drops her off, but this is what I get when I pick her up.

But don’t be fooled, it’s all a ruse. She will now hold my hand and walk down the steps, across the lawn and parking lot, and then stop when we get to the car and pitch a fit, rolling on the concrete. I’m honestly not sure what to do about this. She doesn’t complain about getting in her carseat at any other time. (Also, look how small this little girl is… trying to soak up all the itty bitty cuddles is my latest mission).

I think it might be naps. Yep, I’m pretty sure it’s related to naps. Now that she’s on the nap mat, some days she sleeps 2 hours, some days she sleeps 30 minutes. One particularly bad day she did not sleep at all. And this is what I got when we got home, the rolling on the ground miserable baby tantrum (please believe me that I was taking this picture while I was singing to her, and trying to coax her to come play with me).

Also, I know all the aunts and uncles are probably like “wth, Lauren” but… I want to document real life here, cause I also have cousins and friends who read this blog and I don’t want anyone (including Claire when she is reading this in the future) having some delusion that it’s 100% sunshine and rainbows over here.

OK, with that said, we figured out the night time routine. We come home, help mommy cook

And after we chow down on dinner we immediately change the scenery. Sometimes we go outside for some fresh air

And if that doesn’t work… BATH TIME. Yes, that’s right. Claire Daly, after 17 months of life, finally has learned to like the bath again.

Bri’s 24th Birthday

My little sister Bri had a fun birthday celebration! Claire rode along in the stroller, again, while we all played. In the picture below, you will see the most competitive sister, trying to persuade (blow) her ball to fall in the cup.

Claire held my putter and ball the whole time (I borrowed from people who are more apt to share).

I don’t have any pictures, but we had a lovely night of hibachi. When the chef made the big flame, Claire didn’t even flinch. When he faked flinging an onion at Elyse, she and I both jumped and scared Claire. Waterworks ensued. We got him back by throwing rice all over the floor. (fair’s fair).

After baby bedtime, us young folk (go with me on that) went out for cocktails (at a dessert bar not to be named on this family blog) and a panic room. We didn’t break the record but we finished with like 23 minutes left or something. The whole time James did NOT want to be handcuffed. If you’ve ever participated in a panic room, only a few of the scenarios have handcuffs involved… but guess what we had handcuffs. It didn’t slow us down at all, obvi. *brushes shoulder off*

And we topped it all off with a lovely brunch. I sure love my fam.

Family from Afar!

If you’re from James’ side of the family, you probably gave up reading this like 20 minutes ago. But if you have hung with me, Claire finally met some of her Ohio kin! GREAT Aunt Dawn and Uncle Ray made a trek to Texas for Grandpa Greg’s Birthday!

We enjoyed a lovely barbeque at Greg and Liz’s house, met the fluffy doggies, tossed (and probably licked, ew!) a bunch of tennis balls.

The next day we barbequed, and James smoked us a delicious brisket on his Traegar

And, what trip to Texas is complete without the Waco pilgrimage (too soon?) to visit Magnolia Silos, Magnolia table, Magnolia Complex 🙂

And we still made it home in time to get the tiny toddler from daycare.

Mommy daughter outings

Every month, on the weekend before the first Monday of the month, there’s a big flea market in Canton. Since the weather was nice, Claire and I decided to do a little shopping, can you tell she was pumped?

Just kidding, she does love strolling and people watching, but you know what she really loves? Mommy’s food. and especially corn dogs… with mustard.

On our next outing we went to a local flower nursery to do some early Christmas shopping for mommy. We were surprised by a brilliant display of shrub roses. Again, Claire was not impressed.

I just thought she looked so perfectly pink amongst the roses… but ya know what? Somebody asked me if she was a boy, dressed head to toe in pink. People are crazy. Here’s my little girl in her pink.

Well, the nursery was fun, it was the first time Claire ever saw chickens. She first called them a dog, then a cat then a duck (which I have to admit is pretty close). Finally she started to say “ticka” which I accept as “chicken”. It’s really hard to pronounce “CH” when you have like 4 bottom teeth.

Fall Pictures

Claire was looking so cute one day, and I did up our front porch for fall, so I thought we would go outside and take some photos. She tried to warn me….

But she cooperated…

And then she didn’t.

So, I had to go back to candid pictures to get her to smile.

18 Month Photos

Well, I was a day late taking 18 month pictures, but we got them done. The mommy acrobatics it takes to get a baby to look at the camera is hysterical. I had to hold up one phone playing Laurie Berkner band music videos and another one to take pictures. Basically what I’m saying is that it was a miracle I got even 1 photo.

This is the closest thing I can imagine to a baby mug shot.

But, I think the blooper reel is just as telling and funny. First she knocked it over.

Then she stood in front of it.

Then she didn’t want to be close to it

Then there was this.

And eventually I just gave up.

And miscellaneous moments with this little love

Alright, I wrote basically this whole post 3 weeks ago, but didn’t get to wrap it up. So, I apologize if the last few sections were a little short. This has been a rough month, somehow I’m on my third round of antibiotics to try to get over super strep, James is on steroids to get over “the Crud that’s not COVID”. I’ll grab the Halloween pictures in a later post, because it’s so cute it belongs on its own. But for now, here’s the rest of the fun we had in the last couple of months. But first me, at the doc, for the second time for strep.

Now for more (mostly) happy Claire pics

She still loves wearing her “bracelets”

And dumping things out of her bucket (where is her right shoe?)

Sleeping like a champ, 7-7 every night, but I sure love tucking her in with her blanky every night

A block tower that I was particularly fond of

My feelings about her being grouchy on a Saturday. Her teething on a foam block.

Probably our last time we can fit in this particular Buckeye onesie (it’s a 9 month size, and she’s double that age…) LOL

I found Once Upon a Child and have been loving putting together her outfits. Particularly the shoes are a GREAT deal.

Another Once Upon a Child find and a onesie from Aunt Jill and Aunt Carm

This was in our “I cry a lot when I come home” week.

She stole a pepper out of my garden and carried it around 🙂

We (used to) put our feet on the table when we eat. We always told her “no” but then she started telling us “no”. I tried changing the height of her seat, but nothing worked. One day, she pushed herself over in the chair. Yep, over backwards like your teacher always told you would happen. It scared me to death, and I kept her from going to sleep for hours and checked her for concussion multiple times. Thankfully she was OK. I think the mess of bibs I keep on the back of the chair cushioned her head. But… since then, she does not put her feet up nearly as much and she very rarely pushes off the table, thank goodness.

I’m not sure why we were dressed up this day, but she was sure a cutie!

Daddy Jungle Gym

The famous baby squat. Also, eating this plastic sandwich. I’m not sure if she’s associated it with food or if it was coincidence that she puts most of her toys in her mouth.